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Information for Host Families & Landlords

Rethink the Room: Could Your Spare Room Support a Student?

A spare room in your home could help a student access university while providing you with additional income.

TU Dublin supports the DFHERIS Rethink the Room campaign, which encourages homeowners to consider offering a room to a student. You can meet prospective students, discuss whether the arrangement suits you both and agree the terms before a stay begins.

The Student Accommodation Team can help you understand the next steps and advertise your room on StudentPad.

Rethink the Room Campaign Image

What Accommodation Can You Offer?

Students look for accommodation throughout the year, including weekday arrangements, seven-day stays, semester stays and shorter periods for placements.

Be clear about the days and nights available, start and end dates, and arrangements for weekends and college holidays. Discuss whether belongings can remain in the room during absences and whether charges continue. during holiday periods. 

Clear expectations and a welcoming, respectful environment help make the arrangement work for both you and the student.

DFHERIS campaign statistics: 63% of surveyed homeowners near a college with a spare room would consider offering digs; 75% of surveyed students who had stayed in digs would recommend it to a friend. Source: Amárach Research, July 2026.

Rent Caps for Owner-Occupied Accommodation

TU Dublin applies rent caps to owner-occupied accommodation advertised on StudentPad to support affordable options for students.

This approach reflects the DFHERIS Voluntary Regulatory Framework, which recommends that rates be affordable and considerably below those charged for private rented accommodation or purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA). The specific rent caps below are set by TU Dublin.

These caps apply only to owner-occupied accommodation. The room rates include bills and utilities. Agree whether payments will be weekly or per calendar month and record this in the written licence agreement.

Room type Stay Maximum weekly rent per person Maximum rent per calendar month per person
Single room 5 days per week €145 €580
Single room 7 days per week €185 €740
Twin room - two sharing 5 days per week €110 €440
Twin room - two sharing 7 days per week €140 €560
Triple room - three sharing 5 days per week €90 €360
Triple room - three sharing 7 days per week €115 €460

For a private bathroom or ensuite used exclusively by the room’s occupant or occupants, you can apply an additional charge per calendar month is €50 for a single room, €25 per person for a twin room, or €20 per person for a triple room.

Agree any meals and charges in advance. Students should still have reasonable access to kitchen facilities.

See Owner Occupied Accommodation Rent Caps 26/27 for full guidance, including rates for self-contained accommodation.

TU Dublin may decline or remove adverts that exceed the applicable caps or appear unsuitable for student accommodation. 

Rent-a-Room Relief

Accommodation offered in owner-occupied homes through the Rent-a-Room scheme . You may qualify for tax relief on gross income of up to €14,000 per year from renting a room in your home, subject to Revenue’s conditions

Advertise Your Accommodation

Register on TU Dublin StudentPad to create your advert and upload clear, recent photographs. Our StudentPad Guide explains how to set up your account and advert. 

Include the room type, rent and payment frequency, available dates, days and nights offered, facilities and any additional charges. Select the campus or campuses students can reasonably travel to and describe the transport options.

Respond promptly to enquiries and update or remove your advert when the accommodation is no longer available.

Before the Student Moves In

Arrange a viewing and discuss whether the accommodation suits you both. Use the DFHERIS Your Digs Checklist.pdf to cover costs, access, household routines and privacy.

When a student shares your home with you, the arrangement is generally a licence rather than a tenancy and falls outside the Residential Tenancies Board’s remit.

Agree the terms in writing before the student moves in. Both parties should sign the Sample Licence Agreement and retain a copy. Include:

  • Rent, bills, payment dates and payment records
  • The deposit, its return date and agreed grounds for deductions
  • Dates of stay, weekend and holiday access, and notice arrangements
  • Kitchen and laundry access, visitors and cleaning responsibilities

The DFHERIS Voluntary Regulatory Framework recommends a deposit of no more than one month’s rent, with the combined deposit and rent paid upfront not exceeding two months’ rent. 

If you are letting a separate property or self-contained unit, check the applicable tenancy and registration requirements rather than assuming the digs licence arrangements apply.

TU Dublin acts solely as a facilitator and does not oversee the property or agreements. Licence agreements are directly between homeowners and the student. 

The University is not a regulatory body and does not vet properties, landlords or homeowners.

Ongoing Support 

The Student Accommodation Team is here to help with every step, from setting up your listing to answering any hosting questions.

studentaccommodation@tudublin.ie  
+353 1 220 5600 

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